Tinder traveling can be so much fun.
The dating aspect of Tinder never gets boring as we all dream of meeting Mr./Ms. Right at some romantic destination. Call me a cynic or an old-fart but I’m not one to believe that an algorithm will tell me who I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with. I’m not, however, opposed to taking full advantage of today’s hottest dating app to explore everything a city has to offer.
If you’ve been living under a rock, here’s a quick 411 on what Tinder is: a social dating app suggesting possible matches with nearby users, based on your background and interests. Swipe right if you like who you see and a thread of text messages will kick off. Wanna meet up? He/she is literally right around the corner.
For a traveler who is on the road alone, this maybe the perfect way to find someone to accompany a night out in the town. It sure beats sitting alone at the bar, waiting to be picked up by a creepy stranger. If all you’ve heard from your friends is that Tinder is an app for casual hookups, you may be correct. Even if that’s not your cup of tea, per se, here’s why using it solely as a travel app may not be such a bad idea!
Introduce those hidden gems!
There just aren’t enough guidebooks out there to tell us where the hidden gems are! When you’re in a city, touristic sites are cool for a day or two, then it’s time to do it like the locals do. Where are the underground jazz bars with live bands playing all night long? Where is that secret spot on the hill to watch the sun goes down with the panoramic view of the city? Your Tinder match will most likely be a local who can take you on a discovery of hidden gems that only a local knows. Of course, if you don’t feel like meeting up with your match, getting local recs via texts is also a useful option.
Instant travel buddy
I realize that most people aren’t like me and they don’t opt to travel alone. Indeed, solo travel can get lonely at times. Especially if the trip is business-oriented and you have a few days to spare in a foreign city. You have a place in mind to go to but don’t have someone to go with? Tinder comes in handy in situations like this, a few texts and you get an instant travel buddy to experience something that you’ve always wanted to do but weren’t gonna go about it by yourself.
Local tour guide on-the-spot
It’s expensive to hire a private local tour guide these days. Even in South America where traveling tends to be on the cheaper side, a local guide may cost up to $100/day. Meeting someone on Tinder to take you around is…FREE and instantaneous. You may start out as wanting a guide for a day then it may transition into a fabulous date! It works vice versa too. If your date turns out to be a total drag, at least you scored a tour of the city at no cost.
Most importantly, always be safe and make sure you’re at places where there are people around. God knows how many randoms troll on dating apps without the same intentions as yours. So, be safe when you’re Tinder traveling!
